Device for treating shoe stiffener blanks



March 4, 1947.

R. ALMY ET AL DEVICE FOR TREATING SHbE STIFFENER BLANKS Filed Oct. 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r W M m, 0 Q 3 2 n 2 2 Mm l \1 mm I .w on 4 M N. n Q m m Q N w. 2 E mm v S J 5 mm mm mm 2 7 mm 0 m em 2 mm 0 i 00E 9 9 v OE R. ALMY Emu.

March 4, 1947.

. DEVICE FOR TREATING SHOE STIFFENERBLANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1943 FIG. 3

Patented Mar. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? DEVICE FOR TREATING SHOE STIFFENER BLANKS Richard Almy and George E. Ehle, Lancaster Township, Lancaster County, Pa., assignorsv to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Par, a corporation ,of Pennsylvania Application October 20, 1943, Serial No; 506,986.

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to devices for treating shoe stiffener blanks and, more particularly; to a device for conditioning shoe stiffener blanks to permit, them to be disposed in position in a shoe. Ou device is especially devised for use with so-called solvent type box toe blanks.

In United States Patent No. 2,277,941, granted March 31, 1942, in the name of Richard Almy, there is disclosed and claimed a shoe stiffener blank, such as a box toe blank, impregnated or carrying a stiffening material composed of a mixture of reactive, water-soluble resin, such as reactive, water-soluble urea-formaldehyde resin, and rubber. In use, such blank, immediately before the lasting operation, is dipped or moistened with an aqueous solution of an acidic material, for example, ammonium phosphate, adapted to activate or accelerate the condensation reaction of the reactive urea-formaldehyde resin. In othe words, such solution epedites the condensation' of the resin to a substantially infusible. and insoluble state. The blank is incorporated in the shoe while wetv or moist and becomes hard, stiff, and flexible by evaporation of the activating solution and by substantially complete condensation of the urea-formaldehyde resin which renders it infusible and insoluble.

The chief object of the'present invention is to provide an economical and efficient conditioning device for solvent type shoe stiffener blanks which is particularly adapted for use in treating shoe stiffener blanks of the type disclosed in said Patent No. 2,277,941. is to provide a device for readily and quickly treating shoe stiffener blanks to'render them limp and pliable for ready insertion in'shoe's. A further object, is to provide an economical, acid resistant device adapted to pass shoe .stifiener blanks into and through abath of conditioning solution and to place the wet or moist blanks in a position where they are readily available to the'shoe builder. A still further object is to provide a conditioning device for box toe blanks which is extremely low in initial cost, formed'of a minimum number of elements which come in contact with the conditioning solution, quickly and easily operable by inexperienced operators, and which possesses a long life in its intended service. readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a conditioning machine for shoe stiffener blanks which'comprises, in combination, a rotatable memb'en'means dis posed on said member adapted to hold shoe stiffener blanks, a receptacle.foriconditioning: Solus- An object of the invention Other objects of my invention will be tion, and means to pass the blanks through the conditioning solution. Preferably, the device is provided with suitable mechanism. .to remove the blanks from the holding means after they are passed through the conditioning solution.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferredembodiment of our invention in which Figur 1 is a plan view of ou 'conditioni ng device for shoe stiffener blanks;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of vice illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a view partly in section and partlyin elevation of the rotatable member illustrating the manner in which the spokes are held in position thereon; I

Figure 5 is a plan view illustratinga modified form of blank holding means; and

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the modification shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a conditioning device for shoe stiffener blanks which comprises a base Zhaving similar standards 3 extending vertically on each side thereof. I Disposed on the base 2 isa receptacle t for conditioning solution, said receptacle 6 having a rounded rim 5 for a purpose hereinafter described. Receptacle 4 may be made of any suitable material sufficiently resistant to the acidic conditioning solution and, preferably, is made of glass. Receptacle d is held in placeon the base 2 by means of an angle iron-5 disposed across the base 2 which serves as a stop for the reccpe the detacle 4 and a bracket 1 which engages theoppospindle 9 by means of suitable screws or bolts.

(not; shown). Secured to the end of each spoke It is a pair of resilient plates 52 spaced by a. spacer I3 and forming resilient fingers M for the reception of shoe stiffener blanks. The plates 52 are sufficiently resilient that a blank may be disposed therebetween and serve-to grasp the blank to hold it in place during its passage through the conditioning solution. Any suitable means may be used to grasp the blanks which willserve such function without. material injury to the.;blanks,.

Means are provided to remove the blanks from the fingers l4 after passage through the conditioning solution. Such means, preferably, comprise a blade [5 attached to the standards 3 and extending across the device adjacent the fingers IA. The blade, is curved so as to extend adjacent the fingers [4 but not to interfere with free movement of the fingers. The central por- -tion I6 of the blade I5 is bent upwardly, best shown in Figure 2, and is adapted to engage the blanks while they are held in the fingers to re-.

move them therefrom as the fingers pass adl'a-' cent the blade. 7

A platform H is provided asthey drop from the fingers 14. Platform ll.

terminates at one end in a curved portion I8 to receive theblanks' adapted to fit over the rim 5 of receptacle 4 to attach the platform thereto and'extends downwardly and upwardly, terminating at its opposite end in a flange 19 adapted to rest on the rim 5. A plurality of openings 20 are formed in the platform in order that conditioning solution from the blanks may fall into the receptacle.

Suitable means are provided to rotate member 8 in order to dip the shoe stiffener blanks in the conditioning solution. As illustrated; a pulley 2! is secured to the spindle 9. and a second pulley 22"is mounted on the shaft of a gear reduction unit 23 connected to a suitable motor 2 3. A suitable V -belt 25 connects the pulleys 2i and 22. Thus, as the motor operates, member 8 is rotated: at a desired speed. It will be understood member 8 may be actuated manually if desired and in such case, the above actuating mechanism is dispensed with, a suitable handle or lever being mounted on the end of spindle 9. If desired, the motor'and gear reduction unit may be omitted and the device actuated by a suitable connection to the factory power shafts.

In order to more fully-explain our invention, we will describe the invention in use.

.ceptacle 4 is filled with conditioning solution to the desired level and the operator places blanks to be conditioned in the fingers i4. Asmember 8 rotates, the blanks are carried into and through the conditioning solution to render them limp and pliable. As member 8 continues its rotation,

the blanks are engaged by blade 15 which halts their further movement with fingers l4, thus pulling them from between plates l2 and permitting,

them to drop on platform ll in a position where they arereadily available to the operator.

In some cases, it may be desired to maintain a constant level of solution in receptacle l and for this purpose any suitable reservoir and hydrometric device may be disposed on base 2. It is' essential for long and satisfactory service that all members of the device he formed of acid resistant material'oratleast be coated satisfacton.

ily with an acid resistant material. This is necessary, of course, since the conditioning solution is acidic and all members of the device liableto come in contact therewith must be resistant to the solution to assure extended service life.

In Figures 5 and 6, we have illustrated a modified form of our device. Such device is essene tially the same as the device previously described but differs therefrom in that a slightly different form of means is provided to dip the blank in the conditioning solution. Referring to Figures 5 and The re-.

6, there is shown the base 2 havinglsimilar stand- 7 ards 3 extending vertically'on each side thereof. Receptacle 4 is'disposed on thebase 2. Rotatable member 8, journalled'in standards 3, is'disposed above the receptacle in such manner thatit ex;

tends thereinto. Member 8 includes a wheel of cylindrical member 26 carried on a spindle 21. Mounted on wheel 26 are a plurality of fingers, clips, or plates 28 adapted to grasp shoe stiffener blanks and hold themrin position on wheel 25 during their passage through the conditioning solution. The Clips 28 are diagrammatically illustrated but, preferably, are composed of' a plurality of holding members arranged in shinglelike manner aboutthe circumference of wheel 25. Preferably, the circumference of wheel 26 is covered by members 28 in order to aid the operator in disposing blanks rapidly and efiiciently in the device. Suitable means, such as blade l5, are provided to remove the blanks from clips 28 afterthey are passed through the conditioning solution. It will be appreciated this modification box toe blanks of the type disclosed in Patent No.-

2,277,941 for all parts are formed of acid resistant materials and the blanks are grasped I in such manner that all portions thereof are readily ac cessible to the conditioning solution.

While we have described and illustrated apre ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be.

understood our invention is not limited thereto since it may beotherwlse embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a conditioning machine for shoe stiffener blanks, the combination of a rotatable member having a plurality of spokes extending radially therefrom, resilient fingers disposed on said spokes to yieldingly hold shoe stiffener blanks in position to pass through conditioning solution during the rotation of said member, a receptacle for the conditioning solution, and means engageable with the blanks during rotation of the fingers to extract the blanks from said fingers after the blanks are passed through the conditioning so lution.

2. In a conditioning machine for shoe stiffener blanks, the combination of a rotatable member having a plurality of spokes extending radially therefrom, resilient fingers disposed on said spokes to yieldingly grasp shoe stiffener blanks to hold themin position for dipping in conditioning solution, a receptacle forthe' conditioning solution, a platform for the reception of blanks after they are passed through the conditioning. olution, and stationary means engageable with the blanks during rotation of the fingers to extract the blanks from said fingers to dispose the blanks on the platform in a position readily available tothe op- ,7

erator.

3. A conditioning machine according to, claim 1 in which means are provided to rotate the rotatable member.

' 4. In a conditioning machine for shoe stiffener blanks, the combination of a receptacle for conditioning solution, a rotatable'member disposed thereover, a pluralityof spokes extending radial lyfrom said member, resilient fingersdisposed on said spokes to yieldably hold shoe stiffener blanks in position to pass through the conditioning solution during the rotation of said member,

a platform for the reception of blanks after they are passed through the conditioning solution, said platform being disposed over at least a portion of said receptacle and attached thereto, and stationary means engageable with the blanks during rotation of the fingers to extract the blanks from said fingers to dispose the blanks on the platform in a position readily available to the operator.

5. In a conditioning machine for shoe stiffener blanks, the combination of a base, standards extending upwardly from said base, a rotatable member journalled in said standards, an acid resistant receptacle for acidic conditioning solution disposed on said base beneath said rotatable member, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said rotatable member, resilient fingers disposed on said spokes to grasp shoe stiffener blanks during the rotation of said member for passage through the conditioning solution, a platform for the reception of blanks after they are passed through the conditioning solution, said platform extending over a portion of said receptacle and being attached thereto, and a curved blade mounted on said standards and extending across the receptacle, said blade being disposed adjacent the fingers to engage the blanks to remove them from the grasp of the fingers after they have passed through the conditioning solution.

6. In a conditioning machine for shoe stiffener blanks, the combination of a base, standards extending upwardly from said base, a rotatable member journalled in said standards, an acid resistant receptacle for acidic conditioning solution disposed on said base beneath said rotatable member, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said rotatable member, resilient fingers disposed on said spokes to grasp shoe stiffener blanks during the rotation of said member for passage through the conditioning solution, a platform for the reception of blanks after they are passed through the conditioning solution, said platform extending over a portion of said receptacle and, being attached thereto, and a curved blade mounted on said standards and extending across the receptacle, said blade being disposed adjacent the fingers to engage the blanks to remove them from the grasp of the fingers after they have passed through the conditioning solution, and means to rotate said rotatable member to pass the blanks into and through the conditioning solution.

7. A conditioning machine according to claim 6, in which means are provided to hold the receptacle in fixed position on the base.

RICHARD ALMY. GEORGE E. EHLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 471,284 Walters et a1 Mar. 22, 1892 1,301,590 ODonnell Apr. 22, 1919 1,274,830 Wood Aug. 6, 1918 2,025,467 Lovell et a1. Dec. 24, 1935 401,206 Paul Apr. 9, 1889 1,927,954 Schoenky Sept. 26, 1933 

